Stamp-vending machine.



"z. G. sHoLEs.

STAMP VBNDING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1909. 95?@62, Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

z. G sHoLEs. STAMP VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1909.

@35,06% A Patented sepnzs, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

Z. G. SHGLES..

STAMP VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.19, 1909.

5962 Patented Spt. 28, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

4ZALMION Gr. SHOLES, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO EUGENE CROWELL, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

STAMP-VENDING MACHINE.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ZALMQN G. SHoLEs, a citizen of theUnited States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, vand State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stamp- Vending Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has relation to a simple form yof vending machine, applicable to a variety of purposes, but particularly adapted to the automatic vending of postage l stamps.

The invention is shown in a certain preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, whereina Figure 1 is a side `view of the machine, with one side of the outer casing removed, Fig. 2 is a similar view from the opposite side, Fig. 3 is a front end view of the same, a portion of the outer casing being removed, Fig. 4 is a central Vertical section of the coin wheel, Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of the continuous flexible envelop for the stamps,

'and Fig. 6 shows a detail hereinafter described.

The base 10, directly carries the cash box 11, containing the cash drawer, secured by a lock 13|to the top 14 of the cash box.

TheV vending mechanism proper rests, as shown, on the top of the cash box, and is concealed by a cover 15, having lugs 16 which pass through appropriate slits inthe box top 14, said lu ls bemg perforated to receive the locking ar 17, whereby removal of the cover is prevented. Access to the bar 17 can only be had by unlockingthe drawer 12. Thus a single lock secures both the mechanism and the money. As shown at .'18 in Figs. 1 and 2, the side of the cash drawer is suitably notched to allow it to pass the lugs 16, when the drawer is opened. Upon the standard 19, within the cover 15, there is mounted a fixed spindle 20, screwed into said standard 19 at one end. A nut 21 sur-v rounds the spindle and rests against the face of the standard 19. Guide arms 22 extend radially from this nut. A similar nut`23 screws onto the outer end of the spindle 20 and carries similar guide arms 24.

The flexible stamp carrying envelop 25 (or other means for analogous purpose) is carried in a coil u on the spindle 20, between the arms 22 an` 24 andl extends downward through a guide box 26 (see Figs. 1 and 3) Specication of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 28, 1909. Application mea February 19, 1909. serial No. 479,003.

and thence to the delivery opening 27. The guide box 26 contains two transverse horizontal rollers 28 and 29, preferably having rubberlsurfaces, between which the flexible member passes. The preferred form given to this iexible member, when used for selling postage stamps or the like, is shown .in Fig. 5. In forming this device, a long strlp of paper or other appropriate material is folded longitudinally to form a single undivided pocket open along one edge. This is then perforated along pairs of lines 30, 31, spaced so as to leave room for one ormore postage stamps between successive pairscf rows of perforations.

The stamps are indicated` in dotted lines at 32. Between the rows of holes 30 and 31, at each pair, the folded strip is pasted or otherwise fastened together, so that, as completed, the entire strip comprises a number of stamp pockets placed end to end,kand open on one side only. The lines 33, midway between rows 30 and 31 of each pair of rows, indicate where the strip is divided by the machine in the course of its operation.

The strip 25, after passing through the rollers 28, 29, is passed through a narrow tapering orice 34 in the end of the guide box 26 (see Fig.` l). The lower edge of this orifice on the outer face of the box 26 is formed to act as a cutting edge in copera tion with the movable knife 35. The knife 35 is ypivoted at 36 at one side of the opening 34, and is normally elevated by a coiled -90 spring 37. The outer.= end of the knife 35 plays up and down in a slot 38 of a forward extension of the guide box 26, by which 1t is held in close engagement with the front of said box. The end of the knife projects beyond the slot 38 (see Fig. 3) so as to offer a point of engagement for the dog which -operates it, as described below.

The mechanism for delivering and cutting off portions of the strip 25 is preferably con# structed as follows The standard 19, carries a dog 39 pivoted at 40, whose forward extension impinges upon the top of the end ing plates 45 forms two coin pockets 180 degrees apart. The two parts of the .coin wheel are mounted on a common spindle and an' extension 46 from said wheels is arranged to receive the end of a removable handle 47, whereby the coin wheel may be turned in one direction from outside of the machine casing.

The coin wheel is intended to turn only as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, and to prevent opposite rotation thereof, the ratchet wheel 43 is provided with pins 48, diametrically placed, andl arranged to come successively into engagement with the squareshouldered notch 49 of the check lever 50.

This lever is pivoted at 51 and is normally l held down by the spring 52. It is provided v when the operating handle is pressed.

The normal position of the apparatus is shown in the drawings, and in this position, the coin chute 56 opens directly over one of the oppositely placed coin pockets. The

. form and depth of the coin pocket will, of

' course, be ada ted to the kind of coin and the number `o coins intended tobe used in operating the device. In the form shown it is intended to sell a two cent stamp in .each section or pocket of the flexible member 25, and two one-cent in Fig. 2, atv57. y

The operation of the machine is as follows When the two coins 57 have been dropped through the chute 56 into one of the coin pockets on the coin wheel42, the handle 47 is turned so as to revolve the'coin wheel in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 2. During the time that the upper pin 48 is moving within the notch 49 in the check lever 50, the rounded top edge of the upper coin 57. acts like a cam upon the pin 53, thereby raising the lever 50 and liberating the wheel, which can then be given a half turn, during which the coins drop into the money box.l

It is obvious that any suitably shaped check or medal may take the place of av coin in this connection, and the term coin as used in my claims is to be understood as including such `equivalent means.

The coin pockets are preferably made adaptable to coins of dierentI size or to different numbers of coins .of the same size by the means shown in Fig. 6 wherein each pocket is shown provided with a coin-supporting-piece 62 adapted to slide within the pocket and capable of being xed in any desired position by means of a screw 63'yw`hich piecesI are shown in place ers 28 and 29 just sufficiently to protrude one section of the flexible member 25 through the guide opening 34, thus bringing one of the lines 33 under the knife 35. Just as this motion is completed, one of the two smooth portions of the periphery of the wheel42 comes opposite the pinion 58, thus causing movement of the rollers 28,29 to be inter rupted during the remainder of the movement of the wheel 42. vDuring this remainder movement, and while the flexible member 25 is consequently at rest, the dog 39 is actuated by one of the two pins 41 on the face of the wheel 42, and acts tojdepress the outer end of the knife 35, which shears ofl the protruded section of the flekible I nember, causing ,it to drop upon the delivery tray or chute 59." In the meantime the pin 41 slips by the inner extremity of the dog 39 so as to release it, whereupon the knife 35 and the dog 39 are both restored to normal position by the spring 3 7. The machine is then ready for another operation. During operative movement of the'coin wheel, the pin 53 drops' behind the successiveteeth of the ratchet wheel 43, thus preventing backward movement of the mechanism. Y

It is obvious that this machine is adaptable to the automatic vending of any article capable of delivery between rollers 'within a flexible member, or-of such sale of any flexible Vmaterial of suitable shape, and I do not limitfmyself to a machine for selling postage stamps.

The guide boX 26 should be very slightly wider than the iieXible material delivered,

so that it acts to guide it to the rollers 28, 29. Theserollers may be made to grip the material by use'of any suitable device, but I prefer to use springs 60, bearing upon the journals of the upper roller, which journals 'turn in elongated bearings 61 (see Fig. 1). The pressure thus created is sufficient to ip the member 25 between the rollers and raw it forward.

For placing a new coil or roll vof material 25 in place upon the spindle 20, it is only necessary'to remove the outer nut 23 with the attachedl arms 24, whereby the end of the spindle is leftl free. 'A

A yvariety of changes `may' be' made in device without departigrom my inventing V13o tion and I am not to be limited to the details herein shown and described.

What I claim is- 1. A device of the class described comprising in combination with delivering means, a Wheel for actuating said means, a coin operated check lever therefor, and a spring independent of and detached from said Wheel adapted to act asa buffer-stop at the end of each operative movement of said wheel, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising in combination with delivering means, a Wheel for actuatin said means, a pin on said Wheel, a check ever having a notch for engaging said pin, means dependent for operation upon the presence of a coin for disengagin said lever and pin, and a detached spring a apted to act as a buerstop by contact with said pin, substantially as described. l

3. A device of the class described comprising in combination With delivering means, a Wheel for actuating said means, a pin on said Wheel, a check lever having a notch for engaging said pin, means dependent for operation upon the presence of a coinfor disengaging said lever and pin, and a detached spring so placed in the ath of movement of said pin as to act as a uffer-stop when the pin is brought into contact with said spring, and to yield to permit passage of the pin When further pressure is applied, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comtwo pins on said Wheel, a check lever having a notch-placed so as to engage with said t'wo pins successively, a spring engagin Wlth ,one of said pins While the other is 1n said notch and adapted to press said'latter pin against one shoulder of said notch, and means dependent for operation upon the presence of a coin for disengagingsaid lever and pin so as to permit the pm which is in contact with the sprin to be forced past it, substantially as descri ed. 5. A device of the class described comprising in combination with' delivering means, a Wheel for actuating the same, a pin on said Wheel, a ratchet wheel turning with said first named wheel, a notched lever adapted to engage said pin and means fixed to said lever or engagin said ratchet Wheel, substantially as descri ed.

6. A device of the class described comprising in combination with delivering means, actuating means for the same, a

checking device, a coin pocket on said actuating means having a slotted side, a coinsupporting piece adapted to slide Within said pocket and means projecting through the slot in said pocket for holdin the coinsupporting piece in any ydesire position, substantially as described.

ZALMON G. SHOLES.

Witnesses:

H. S. M AcKAYE, M. A. BTLER. 

